


Habitable

by benedictcumberlongpond



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F, au where the twins also have a cousin on the nexus and she is very very gay, au where there are three ryders and evfra cannot believe he has been cursed in this way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 17:02:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benedictcumberlongpond/pseuds/benedictcumberlongpond
Summary: Aubrey Jean Ryder had a simple plan - come to Andromeda with the Nexus crew and use her tech-knowledge to help them set up, and when the Human Ark arrived, she would be the tech-officer for her Uncle Alec on the Pathfinder team.But now she's been alone on Eos for three months, the one member of the First Outpost who didn't want to move on yet, who still thought she could fix everything.Between an angry old Krogan, The Kett, an adorable Asari, the Remnant, and the radiation - well, coming to Andromeda was never really a simple plan, now that she thought about it.Longfic that will likely follow the progression of the game, Aubrey/Peebee as the main pairing with background F!Ryder/Liam and M!Ryder/Gil





	Habitable

**Author's Note:**

> This is an incredibly self-indulgent fic about my favourite daydream and bless you for clicking on it.

The radiation-thick sunrise crawled sluggishly upwards behind a smoggy veil of cloud. Filtered, red-tinged light hit Aubrey’s cheek and forced a yawn to her throat.

For a moment she forgot that she had stayed behind – forgot that Grace Lito wouldn’t be needing her coffee and Jared wouldn’t be pulling his boots on.

Instead she awoke at the foot of a monolith, alone, and still wearing her armour in case the Kett made another raid.

Her boots were wearing on the edges, caked with sand and smeared with green Kett blood, like grass stains against the brown leather.

When she first arrived on Eos as part of the First Outpost, she was still filled with hope and excitement. She knew that her specialty – alien technology – was not needed at this outpost. However, Aubrey Jean Ryder was a passable scientist, a decent mathematician, and the most technology-savvy person that she knew.

She was also the Human Pathfinder’s niece, and apparently that was all she really needed to be in order to get Director Tann’s approval on her request to go to Eos.

Now she had been alone on the planet for nearly three months, only her science equipment and almost-broken shuttle for company.

She held no resentment for the evacuated members of her team, she knew it was hopeless, she knew they were tired and starving and dying and sick of fighting the Kett.

Aubrey was a survivor, though. She had made breather masks out of bits of lab equipment in the Citadel medical bay when the Geth had attacked. She even shot a few of them, and got congratulated by Commander Shepherd herself. She could _do_ this, even though the human ark hadn’t come.

Even though her Uncle Alec and the cousins she had grown up with were simply missing in space.

It was Beth and Robin who had been stuck in that medical bay on the Citadel with her – the ones who suggested breathers might be a good idea when the Geth turned off the oxygen. She had left matching scars on the twins, across the bridge of their noses, perfect hexagonal marks that never seemed to fade.

Aubrey shook herself out of her memories as she tucked her feet under her body and stood up, looking around the strange Remnant site and wondering if that odd Asari she kept running into was having better luck understanding all of this.

She did a quick check of her pistol, pulled on a few extra pieces of armour, and tied her hair back.

Another day had begun.

“AJ! Up here!” The voice was coming from above her, all excitement and smiles as she tilted her head back and looked to the top of the strange three-pronged structure.

The Asari was perched on one, adjusting something on her omni-tool, half-straddling a scanner.

“Can I get a hand setting this up? Four hands are better than two!”

Aubrey felt herself smile, thanking her tech-skills for keeping her jump jets in working order as she launched up onto the edge, pulling herself over the ridge and then climbing towards the Asari. She remembered her name had something to do with food – she wondered if they had run into each other too many times for Aubrey to be asking what her name was.

“Kett took over my favourite research Monolith, so I figured I’d set up here next. Hope that’s ok?” The Asari spoke with her back to Aubrey, still fiddling with the scanner.

“On a planet like this, a room-mate certainly isn’t the worst idea.” Aubrey said, thankful for the company, happy to be talking aloud to someone other than herself.

 _Peebee_ , her brain finally supplied as the Asari turned to face her.

“Hey, nothing permanent. I work better solo,” she said, eyes darting up and down Aubrey’s form. “Although, you look like you’d be good company for these cold nights.” She said, seemingly to herself, a smirk forming so quickly that Aubrey felt herself blushing, busying herself with helping Peebee set up the scanner.

“So, how are your adventures going AJ? Can’t remember your whole mission statement, something about saving the world?” Peebee asked absently.

Aubrey chuckled, “Just Eos for now – the way I see it we’re only going to be able to survive here with the Kett gone and the Remnant cleared out.”

She had Peebee to thank for that term – _Remnant –_ it was short and it stuck, and was easier to say than ‘those weird robots with no known origin who only try to kill you if you get too close.’

“So studying the monoliths – that’s gunna clear the Kett and the Remnant?” Peebee asked, white teeth flashing in a smile.

“That’s more of a personal project,” she admitted. “I used to be on a team with Beth – the Human Pathfinder’s daughter – she was in charge of digging a lot of Prothean artefacts out of the ground and I was her alien tech specialist.”

“So you’re an alien-tech enthusiast? This must be like Christmas for you.”

“The kind of Christmas where you can’t open the presents,” Aubrey replied, shaking her head.

She had honestly meant for the Monoliths to be a small side project as she fought Kett and studied the planet itself, but every time her shuttle came near one of the hulking structures she found herself unable to leave for at least a few days. There was some hopeful part of her that thought maybe they would be the key to everything – like she could solve the Monoliths and then everything would be okay.

“What about you, Peebee? Are you a fellow alien-tech enthusiast?”

Peebee dropped from her squatting position onto her ass, legs unfolding underneath herself.

“You could say that,” she agreed.

“Alright,” Aubrey smiled, pressing a few buttons on her omni-tool to start up the scanner. It whirred to life, blue light throwing itself against the cool metal of the structure, against Peebee’s outstretched leg, over Aubrey’s arm.

“Al _right!_ Thanks AJ, you’re a pal.” Peebee grinned, standing slowly and dusting off her legs. As she stretched, there was an unmistakable growling sound from her exposed stomach.

“Hungry?” Aubrey asked, “I have some rations left in my shuttle.”

“Hey, if you’re offering. I don’t know what I’m gunna eat when I finish all of my stock.”

“We could always go back to the Nexus for supplies,” Aubrey mused, and Peebee made a face in response.

“I’m still running studies on which plants and animals are edible out here, I’ll let you know if anything is surprisingly delicious.” Aubrey offered.

Peebee shot her an odd look. “Thanks,” She said, giving Aubrey another smile before dropping down from the Monolith, jump-jets catching her fall.

 

-

 

They ate without conversation at first, sitting on top of Aubrey’s shuttle where it was parked in the shade of the Monolith, feet dangling as they filled their stomachs with hard bread and strips of protein-filled mystery-jerky.

“My teeth are either going to fall out or grow to super-human strength,” Aubrey mused, chewing through a crust and feeling her jaw ache with the movement.

“I’ve been on porridge for three days, this is heaven.” Peebee answered through a mouthful. “I’ll trade you if you want, it’s pretty gross.”

“I dissected one of those cloaking, blue and green dog things the other day. Nothing is gross anymore.” Aubrey confessed.

“Gross,” Peebee agreed. “Why?”

Aubrey shrugged. “Science.”

 

-

 

It was nearing nightfall when Aubrey spotted Kett in a low-flying shuttle. They were winding through the trees and rocks of the huge plain that stretched underneath the Monolith, eventually settling down just out of sight, the guttural sound of their language still audible on the breeze.

Peebee and Aubrey had spent most of the day running various tests on different parts of the Monolith, hoping to trigger something. The Asari was now dozing in the sand, a small rucksack from her own shuttle being used as a pillow – she didn’t stir when Aubrey let out a low ‘ _shit’_ and let her hand drift towards her pistol, trying to think of a plan.

Did she need a plan?

 _Of course,_ her inner monologue was as pragmatic as ever, _you can’t just leave the Kett alone and hope they aren’t doing something nefarious._

“Shit,” she repeated.

“Do we have a situation or are you just swearing for fun over there?” Peebee asked without opening her eyes.

“Kett,” Aubrey answered, heading over to her shuttle to examine her explosives. She was running low after she had raided a Kett camp at a smaller Remnant site earlier in the month, and she wasn’t sure if her shuttle would survive another drive-by.

“Too trigger happy,” she muttered to herself, “can’t risk the transport.”

“What was the plan? Drive your shuttle into the camp and hope they didn’t shoot it?”

“Over the camp,” Aubrey corrected. “Drop some explosives on their heads, maybe. Shoot any left over.”

Peebee sat up and considered Aubrey through slitted eyes. “It’s a good plan.”

“Unless the Kett decide to shoot back, which they are prone to doing.” Aubrey sighed.

“Yeah you’re right, guess it’s a shame you don’t have someone with the biotic ability to create a shield around your transport, huh?” Peebee stated, already smirking again.

Aubrey felt something in her stomach swoop at the sight of the smirk, something unbearably akin to affection.

Peebee stood slowly, brushing the sand from her back and hands, shaking off dramatically.

“Well, Aubrey-Jean, looks like your plan is back on the cards.”

“I thought you worked better alone,” Aubrey teased, already beginning to prepare her shuttle.

“Hey! Don’t make fun of the person who’s going to be shielding your cute ass.” Peebee scolded, stretching her arms above her head.

 _Cute ass,_ her brain repeated.

“Now then,” Peebee took her own pistol from its holster. “Let’s make Eos a little more livable.”


End file.
